Yeah, Jynx wasn’t kidding. The day after the party, Rainbow snatched me off the ground, took me to the woods, and had her way with me.
Of course, if I didn’t actually want it I could have resisted and she would have taken the hint, so consent was implied.
And then I discovered the mares of Ponyville saw me as ‘exotic’. Soon, I had half a dozen mares expressing interest in having some fun. Of course, I turned them down. It was one thing to sleep with two of my best friends, but as much as I considered most of them friends, I wasn’t quite ready for that.
In the months since, life had been changing a bit for me. Jynx and I got a house together, and she officially moved to Ponyville. It was a nice, two story house, like most in Ponyville, with four bedrooms, and a basement.
Jynx was starting to show, and travel to Canterlot was starting to become a chore, so the university sent some stuff so she could continue her work at home. I tried to help as much as I could, and was really learning a lot.
Our wedding was, honestly, nothing special. It was just a few friends and family (on Jynx’s side, obviously) and that was about it. Celestia showed up briefly, but after I froze up in her presence she returned to Canterlot. My fear of the sun goddess persisted, it seemed.
Monster attacks were becoming more and more frequent, and more monsters have been seen outside their natural habitats. It wasn’t just Ponyville, either. Yetis in Manehattan, timberwolves in Los Pegasus, and a hydra in Appleloosa are just a few of the strange attacks.
Here in Ponyville, we had a few odd ones, like a bukavac, a large, six legged, horned toad monster whose croak let out a sonic wave that could rattle bones and rupture eardrums. I was deaf for three days after that one.
Not fun.
The Junior Rangers have also proven to be a great boon. After multiple monster attacks, they had proven above and beyond that their ability to organize a retreat to the safety of shelters could save lives. As a result, Junior Rangers chapters have opened throughout Equestria, mostly in smaller towns.
Other than that, not much of interest happened until Spike’s fourteenth birthday party. That was the day in which things would start to spiral out of control, and my life would change forever.
I whistled to myself as I made my way home from work.
I found Jynx sitting in the living room, reading.
“It’s about time you got back,” she said, setting her book down.
“Sorry,” I replied. “We had a big crowd right before the end of mah shift. Lemme take a quick piss and Ah’ll be ready.”
“Well, hurry up,” Jynx said. “I’ll go ahead and start waddling over. Catch up when you’re done.”
I smiled as I gave her a kiss. “Love you.” Then I moved back and kissed the side of her swollen belly. “And love you.”
Jynx smiled. “We love you, too. Now hurry up.”
Despite how much she complained about how big she had gotten, she was still just as quick. She was already halfway to the library by the time I caught up.
“You’re so slow, today,” Jynx said, teasingly.
“Ah had to grab the gift,” I said.
“Oh, would you expect your pregnant wife to not only carry your child, but your luggage, too?” she said with fake indignation.
“Well, Ah didn’t see a sandwich waitin’ for me, so what else are you good for?” I teased back.
“I will break your legs,” Jynx returned, casually.
I just chuckled and remained silent the rest of the way. As we approached the library, the door opened, Twilight waiting to greet us.
“There you guys are,” she said. “I was wondering where you two were.”
“Work,” I said, plainly.
“Ah, yeah, Friday. It would be busy,” Twilight said.
“See, That’s the kind of understanding a wife should have,” I said, to Jynx before turning back to Twilight. “Think I trade this one for you?”
“I’m pretty sure I don’t have the patience to be married to you,” Twilight snarked.
I chuckled. “Nah, probably not. Not many can be as saint-like as Jynx.”
“Nah, I’m not saint-like, I’m just crazy,” Jynx corrected.
I leaned in for a quick kiss. “No wonder we’re so perfect for each other.”
We entered the giant tree. We were the last to arrive, the rest of Twilight’s friends and the Crusaders were already there. I greeted them all with a hug, Fluttershy getting a kiss as well.
“So, what did we miss?” I asked.
“Oh, just everyone reading the pamphlet you made,” Rarity said.
My eyes widened. “Uh... why?”
“So we can mess with you about it,” Rainbow said. “So, where am I on the list?”
“Sorry, Ah didn’t go into the negatives,” I said.
“Actually, I am rather curious,” Twilight said. “I wouldn’t mind knowing where you would rank us on this scale... unless you’re uncomfortable with saying.”
“No way,” Spike said. “I want to hear this. Call it a birthday present.”
I rolled my eyes and shook the package I was holding. “Sure. That just means Ah can return this and get mah money back.”
At everyone’s eager looks, I sighed. “Fine, if this is so important to you. It should be obvious that Rainbow and Rarity are sevens. The Crusaders are all sixes. Twilight and Spike are fours, maybe fives. Pinkie’s a four. AJ, you’re a three. Sorry.”
“Ain’t nothin’ to apologize for,” Applejack said. “Ah woulda said the same.”
“Pay up, girls.” Twilight said with a proud grin while Rainbow and Rarity grumbled, passing her some bits.
“Really?” I gave her a deadpan glare.
“What?” Twilight asked as if she wasn’t a rich little princess taking peasant money.
She was lucky I knew she was probably just going to buy them gifts with it.
“I really gotta raise my score,” Pinkie said. “Any ways I can do that?”
I chuckled as I headed to the table where the other presents were being kept. “Ah don’t know, Pinks. Ah don’t think you need to bother.”
“Sure I do!” she said, as if it was the most serious, important thing in the world. “I need to get to a five so we can have sex!”
I stumbled, barely catching myself. “Pinkie! The Crusaders are right there.”
“That’s okay,” Scootaloo said. “We’re already sixes.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie continued. “That’s already high enough for sex.”
“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity admonished, though the effect was lessened by her laughter. “You’re still too young for that kind of talk. At least wait until you’re old enough to follow through before teasing a male.”
“Really? That’s how you reply to that?” I asked, incredulously.
“Oh, you’ve been here long enough to know how we ponies are,” Rarity said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “They’ll be old enough in a little under three years, anyway.”
“Two years and a month, for me!” Sweetie said, happily.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes, we know. Now, let’s change the subject, shall we? Like the subject of this little get celebration?”
“Yes!” I said, extraordinarily glad for the change. “Spike! No longer a child, if not quite an adult. How’s it feel? Being able to hold a full time job, get married, own property...”
“Yeah, but I can’t vote, live on my own, or go to a bar, among other things,” Spike countered.
“The first two are overrated, and the last isn’t that big of a deal, anyway. You can drink at home whenever you want, now, without need of supervision,” I stated.
And so the party started in earnest. We talked and goofed around. Some of us played games, one of Spike’s ‘gifts’ was for Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy to actually try O&O.
I just enjoyed watching. As I expected, Rainbow actually liked it, and even Rarity enjoyed it a bit. However, I was surprised to see that Fluttershy really got into it. She loved how the cleric focused on helping others while still being strong enough to protect herself and her friends.
Meanwhile, Jynx taught Pinkie and the Crusaders to play a different game, a board game kind of like Risk crossed with Magic the Gathering.
After a while, after Rainbow tried to seduce a mindflayer and failed, getting her brain eaten, everyone decided it was time to move on.
“Alright, which one do you want to open, first?” Twilight asked.
Spike thought a short time before answering. “I think I’ll open yours, first.”
And so he began opening gifts. Twilight gave him a book on dragon magic. Pinkie gave him some cologne and scale polish (for taking a nice mare on a date). Rainbow gave him a new set of weights. Applejack gave him a cask of cider (much to Twilight’s chagrin). Fluttershy gave him a new tea set. The Crusader’s gave him a bunch of gems they had dug up themselves. Finally, Jynx and I gave him a new kitchen knife set (he really liked the set I had).
“Huh...” Spike said, looking under the table. “Um... Rarity, I think yours is missing.”
“Oh? Is it now?” Rarity said, feigning surprise.
“I don’t see it,” he said, sounding a little concerned.
“Oh, of course,” Rarity said, as if she only just remembered. “Upstairs, in your room.”
Spike looked at her, confusion on his face. “My present is in my room?”
Rarity leaned in and said, “She will be, soon,” and started heading upstairs.
Spike stared, wide eyes and slack jawed as she slowly started climbing.
She glanced back at him and asked, “Are you coming?”
Rainbow snickered.
Spike, as if in a trance, followed the mare upstairs, disappearing into his room.
“Okay, well, let’s go ahead and do this before they actually get started,” Twilight said, lighting up her horn and casting a spell that shimmered across the stairs. “Now we won’t have to listen to them.”
Jynx chuckled at my surprised expression and said, “It’s not uncommon for someone to be ‘welcomed’ to pre-adulthood like that on their fourteenth birthday.”
“Why is it that Ah’m still surprised by these things after more than a year?” I asked.
“Alright, well, I guess that’s the end of the party,” Twilight said.
“Not for Spike, it isn’t,” Rainbow said with a snicker.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’d rather not hear what my brother is doing, thank you, very much.”
“Then how about how I would have popped his cherry if Rarity didn’t?” Rainbow teased.
“How about talking about something other than Spike?” Twilight growled.
A knock at the door interrupted anything else.
“Thank the gods,” Twilight mumbled as she went to answer the door.
From outside, I heard Derpy’s voice. “Is Shiro here? I was told he was. I have a letter for him.”
“I’m here,” I said, going to the door.
“Oh, hi, Shiro,” she greeted with a smile. “Letter for you.”
“Thanks,” I said as I took it.
“No problem. See you around,” she said before flying off.
When the door shut, the others all had their attention on me.
“What’s it say?” Scootaloo asked.
“It says that it’s for me,” I said, teasingly.
She just rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. I mean, what’s the letter say?”
I used a claw to cut the envelope open and pulled out the letter. As soon as I did, I knew something was strange. It wasn’t in English. It was in a language not a whole lot of people could read; Aurebesh, the common written language of the Star Wars universe.
A language I’m fluent in.
Yeah, I’m a nerd. I’m also a three hundred fifty pound apex predator that can rip your throat out with his teeth.
Say something.
I dare you.
Dear Shiro,
I send you this letter using this language for secrecy. Please do not share what it says with anyone.
We are in for difficult times. There is a reason monsters have been acting out of sorts.
I feel you may play an important role in things to come, but you are not ready to face what you must.
Meet me in the Everfree, where we met before. Come soon, and come alone.
You know who I am.
I blinked in confusion. The letter was... unusual.
“What kind of writing’ is that?” Applebloom asked.
“Applebloom, don’t be readin’ other folks mail!” Applejack scolded.
“Ah can’t read it, anyway. It’s written in gibberish,” Bloom said.
“That don’t matter,” AJ insisted.
“Can you read that?” Jynx asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Yeah.”
“What’s it say?” she asked.
“Ah have to go,” I said. “Sorry, but it’s important. The rest of you enjoy the party. Ah’ll be back.”
“You want some company?” Jynx asked. I knew what she was really asking was ‘do you need backup’.
“Nah, Ah’ll be fine,” I said. “Be back in a jiffy.”
And with that, I left the library, heading toward the Everfree.